You Can’t Lock Me In My Own House

I stared at the closed door for several minutes, dumbfounded and betrayed.

I was so stunned that I stood there with my mouth open.

My jaw started to ache as if it might dislocate.

‘When did they even fix the door?’

The fact that the door Chairman Seong Gongun had supposedly smashed was now perfectly reattached was shocking.

What on earth had happened in my house while I was unconscious?

“Janggun… how could you do this to me?”

Snapping back to my senses, I picked up the fluffy white culprit and interrogated him resentfully.

Janggun avoided my gaze, acting innocent.

It was so funny and cute that I deliberately lowered my voice and put on a stern expression, as if questioning a suspect.

“Be honest. At this point, you’re basically human, right?”

“You heard them talking and joined in because you were worried about me, didn’t you?”

“Whine…”

The little charmer pretended to be weak and watched my mood carefully.

At the same time, his tail wagged energetically.

‘If you’re going to act annoying, at least don’t be cute.’

Of course, Janggun didn’t actually understand human speech.

I felt ridiculous myself.

With no one to rely on, I was venting nonsense to a tiny, weak puppy.

“I’m letting it slide because it’s you, Janggun.”

“If it were those guys outside, they wouldn’t get off so easily.”

“Woof!”

As if he knew I was soft on him, the moment I petted his head and belly, he brightened immediately.

He panted with his tongue out.

“I’m letting this go just this once.”

“If you team up with those alpha guys again and force me to rest, no jerky for a while.”

“Whiiine…”

“Nope.”

“Even if you act cute, next time your snacks are confiscated.”

“So stay on my side, got it?”

“Woof!”

Thinking my mood had completely improved, Janggun jumped onto the bed.

He burrowed into the blanket I was under.

He felt more human than actual people.

“Sleep well, Janggun.”

It was me Joo Taegang had forced onto the bed.

But Janggun was the one who lay beside me and fell asleep first.

The puppy looked like a bundle of white cotton candy.

He drifted off after just a few pats.

‘He must’ve been really tired.’

Watching him nestle into me, even the last bit of lingering irritation melted away.

It was Janggun who had found me collapsed.

If he hadn’t scratched at the door, trying to save me with his instincts…

I wouldn’t be breathing like this now in Seong Chanyeong’s body.

“Still, that’s one thing and this is another.”

Only after confirming Janggun was fully asleep did I sit up.

Maybe he hadn’t slept at all the previous day.

He didn’t react at all to my careful movements.

“I can’t just sit out the farming I started.”

Trying to exclude me from the farm was their mistake.

Those city alpha guys probably didn’t even know the first thing about farming.

I could bet everything on that.

‘Which means I absolutely cannot leave my precious land to them.’

The only advantage those alpha guys had was strength.

They were good at physical labor, like oxen.

Since they were originally smart, they also handled assigned tasks well enough.

The problem was that without me directing everything, my simple farming life wouldn’t function properly.

‘If they’re actually thinking of ruining the farm entirely….’

Maybe they thought that if everything failed, I’d give up and go back.

As if.

‘My sprouts are mine to protect!’

My grand plan hadn’t even properly begun yet.

I couldn’t back down now.

Ever since deciding to move to the countryside, I’d been planning a bucket list.

Homemade jams, fruit syrups, and meat feasts from my harvest.

I wasn’t going to give that up.

With firm resolve, I opened the door.

There was someone crouched outside, one knee raised, standing guard.

“Ahh!”

“Ah, just as expected—you were trying to sneak out.”

The person guarding my door like a warden was Yoo Ise.

His sly, relaxed smile was still there.

But there were shadows under his eyes.

‘Did he come straight from work?’

The thought that I was being watched so I couldn’t even leave my room irritated me.

And the fact that he was slacking off while staying here in exchange for labor made it worse.

“W-what is this?”

“Why are you squatting in front of someone else’s door?”

“I figured you’d ignore us and try to sneak out, so I stayed.”

“…This is my house, you know?”

“Who are you calling sneaky?”

“I’m not a bug.”

“Then why are you creeping out so quietly if you’re not a bug?”

Ugh.

I hated how he refused to lose even a single word.

This was exactly why talking to Yoo Ise felt uncomfortable.

“It’s because of Janggun.”

“If he wakes up, he’ll whine and stop me again…”

“What’s a mere dog?”

“If you want to go, just leave it.”

“What did you say?”

This bastard casually mixing polite and informal speech was seriously irritating.

“Since when did you care so much about a dog?”

“You’ve changed too much.”

“It’s strange, Seong Chanyeong.”

Yoo Ise, who had been sitting and looking up at me, stood.

The tall man towering over me made my breath hitch.

“…How well do you even know me to say that?”

“You never cared before.”

“It’s not that I didn’t care.”

“I did.”

“It just wasn’t favorable attention.”

‘Saying something like that so openly—his personality really is trash.’

If the real Seong Chanyeong had heard that, he would’ve exploded.

Just like in the original story, Yoo Ise was good at making people’s hearts race.

And then dropping them cold.

So good that countless people ended up in tears.

‘Not that I have any intention of getting close to him.’

“Move.”

“I have work to do.”

“What if I don’t?”

“…Did Joo Taegang tell you to do this?”

“Or Chae Yunchan?”

“You’re not the type to listen just because they asked.”

“You’re right.”

“I accepted because I wanted to.”

“Though you came out sooner than expected.”

“Then move.”

“Let me pass.”

As I tried to push past him, Yoo Ise grabbed my shoulder.

He tilted his head.

The angle looked almost like he was about to kiss me.

So I shoved him away with all my strength.

“…See, things like this are different.”

“Get away from me!”

No matter how hard I pushed, he didn’t budge.

He stood firm like a stone wall.

As I struggled, he spoke.

“Don’t get sick.”

“If you’re going to insist you’re not, then don’t collapse.”

“It leaves a bad taste.”

“What?”

“That’s all I had to say.”

“I’ll let you go now.”

After saying only what he wanted, Yoo Ise turned and walked away.

“What was that…”

“Those aren’t lines you say while wearing work pants.”

Ridiculously, I hadn’t even thought to say that during the conversation.

Maybe it was the effect of a top-tier alpha.

I felt like if I lost focus, I’d be devoured.

It felt like being a mouse in front of a cat.

I hated it.

‘But why does it matter if he feels bad or not?’

‘Why is he blaming me?’

What a nasty personality.

Taking it out on me.

I really wish he’d leave first.

He was the most unsettling of them all.

The Seong Chanyeong they had locked up to rest had crawled out anyway.

It wasn’t surprising.

Joo Taegang had anticipated it.

He had stationed Yoo Ise as a guard.

But it hadn’t worked.

‘Looks like he completely forgot about going to the ER yesterday.’

Baek Dojun let out a bitter smile.

He watched Chanyeong happily filling a bright blue watering can with water.

The warning he’d given had clearly been ignored.

Chanyeong noticed him too.

But pretended not to.

He kept walking toward the garden.

If anything, he walked even more stubbornly.

Just like his dog, Janggun.

Baek Dojun was busy preparing the orchard Chanyeong wanted.

He was setting up fences.

Asking workers about soil conditioners.

Spreading them.

Turning over the ground.

Normally, this would be done with a tractor.

But Chanyeong had refused to provide one.

He wanted to drive out the unwanted guests.

‘Honestly, this might be better.’

Digging with a shovel and raking helped him focus.

Simple labor kept his mind occupied.

It stopped him from replaying the moment Chanyeong collapsed.

Sweating silently, he continued working.

Chae Yunchan spoke up.

“Baek Dojun, Chanyeong’s walking around again.”

“Is it okay to just leave him?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“You should tell him directly.”

If Seo Eunsu felt ashamed of being unable to act,

Baek Dojun suffered for another reason.

He had the power to change things.

Yet he hadn’t noticed Chanyeong’s change.

And now he was rejected as an outsider.

‘Was Seo Eunsu right?’

He had hated Seong Chanyeong.

Wished for him to disappear.

Despised how he was treated.

But now, he couldn’t look away.

Even while acting strong, Chanyeong’s weakness had shown.

When he collapsed, it was undeniable.

When he unconsciously begged to live,

something inside Baek Dojun broke.

‘Right now… I don’t know how to treat him.’

He knew what those scattered emotions were.

Love and hatred.

He thought only hatred remained.

But when Chanyeong collapsed,

he realized there was still faint affection.

“You keep staring but act like you don’t care.”

“Think whatever you want.”

Baek Dojun thought Chae Yunchan wasn’t much different.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep glancing toward Chanyeong while working.